How Good Is Java for Mobile Game Development?

At present, Android dominates the worldwide smartphone operating system market. Also, the statistics posted on various websites indicate that Google Play Store currently offers more apps and games than Apple Play Store. The trends depict that many developers prefer developing apps and games for the Android platform.

The developers have option to write apps and games for Android in C, C++ or Java. But Java is the official language for developing games and apps for Google’s mobile operating system. Google further recommends developers to write new Android applications and games in Java. Also, many developers find it easier to write mobile games in Java than other programming languages.

Why Many Developers prefer writing Mobile Games in Java?

Java is a Popular Programming Language

Java is currently one of the most widely used general-purpose programming languages. The developers have option to use Java for developing desktop GUI applications, web applications and mobile apps. So many beginners prefer learning a programming language that enables them to build a wide variety of applications. Also, Java enables developers to write, compile and debug code without putting any extra effort. That is why; enterprises can build mobile apps easily by deploying skilled Java programmers.

Java is a Multithreaded Programming Language

Developers always prefer writing mobile games in a programming language that supports multithreading fully. The multithreading support is essential for performing several tasks concurrently within a single program. So the users can easily play the mobile games written in Java while performing other tasks like checking emails and browsing internet. The multitasking support makes it easier for programmers to build games that allow users to switch from one task to another seamlessly.

Facilitates Cross-Platform Game Development

Unlike other programming languages, Java enables developers to port applications from one platform to another seamlessly. They programmers can write the mobile game in Java once, and run it on multiple devices and platforms without recompiling the code and using extra implementation dependencies. So it becomes easier for developers to build the mobile game initially for the Android operating system, and reuse the same code to extend the game to other mobile platforms.

Helps Developers to Build Flawless Games

Like mobile apps, mobile games also need to work flawlessly and deliver richer user experience to become popular and profitable. So the developers need to ensure that the code written by them is flawless. Also, the must identify and repair the bugs or flaws in the code immediately. Unlike other programming languages, Java enables programmers to identify and eliminate coding errors early and quickly. The programmers can further take advantage of the Java compiler to detect errors occurring at the time of code execution.

Features Included in Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)

While writing mobile games in Java, the developers can take advantage of the robust features provided by Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). In addition to being an open platform, J2ME further includes Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) API. The MIDP API helps developers to create apps and games for constrained devices. The latest version of MIDP API comes with several new features to make mobile game development simpler and faster.

The programmers can further use Java runtime environment and libraries to make the game run seamlessly on various mobile devices. At the same time, the rich user interface features of J2ME make it easier for developers to make the games more visually appealing. Also, the platform can queue network operations and catch efficiently. Hence, the developers can use J2ME to enable users to play the games even when there is no internet connectivity.

Loads of Game Development Tools

The developers can further avail a number of tools to build 2D and 3D mobile games in Java rapidly. For instance, the programmers can use advanced 3D game engines like jMonkeyEngine to create stunning 3D worlds. These tools further boost the performance of Java games significantly, and enables developers to port the games to different platforms.

Some of these tools even allow programmers to write robust games in Java using widely used integrated development environments (IDEs) like NetBeans and Eclipse. These game development tools contribute immensely towards making Java mobile game development popular.

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